Thursday, September 5, 2013

Sierra Nevada Flipside

 Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.   Chico, CA

Notes:
Red IPA
12oz Bottle
6.2% ABV


Appearance:  Pours a wonderful autumn ruby/orange/brown color…fairly transparent, I can see a few bubbles bubbling up in the middle…head began thicker but thinned relatively quickly…tiny bubbles cluster on edges and get wispier towards middle…looks like a classic Sierra Nevada brew…(3.5/5)

Smell:  Smells very much as advertised…strong malt character upfront and middle, followed by a piney/woods hops finish…initial malts are earthy, deep and clean…just a hint of sweetness and there is a faint peppery bite…hops come in later, bringing a nice piney aroma…not a strong aroma, but distinct and flavorful…(3.5/5)

Taste:  Malts up front, mild sweetness…very earthy, woodsy, with a mild pepper bite…no doubting this is an IPA at heart, second and third phases are dominated by piney, dank, citrus and grassy bitterness…it’s a lovely combination of flavors happening here…very balanced…red malts are prominent and bring a nice opening salvo, but the strong hops flavor satisfies and makes me want more…double yum! (4.25/5)

Mouthfeel:  Light to medium body…carbonation is also medium to light, but it does fluff a bit bringing red malt flavor and piney/woodsy/grassy bitterness to the palate…there is a faint astringent taste, but it’s super light and easily overlooked…malts seem to linger side by side with a piney/grassy bitterness in the after taste…this full flavored brew lays on the tongue like gramma’s knitted blanket during a summertime nap…(4.25/5)

Overall:  Very impressed with this brew…it really is the perfect in between season flavor: malty and full flavored, with enough hops and bitterness to keep the outdoor BBQ/Fourth of July festival feel…Sierra Nevada has been pumping out a ton of great beer lately (2013 Beer Camp) and this is another quiver in their arsenal…I’m not sure how long this will be around, so if you see it, do yourself a favor and scoop up a sixer…this is a great brew for sitting at home watching opening day of NFL football and partner kale chips fantastically! (4.25/5)

Score:
(3.99/5)

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